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Naw I don't think so. The 4AGE is an accepted conversion round these parts me thinks

well dat383, tell us what you really think!

A 1uz would be my first choice, but the rover is smaller and lighter- just a matter of building it properly, they're ok.

Buick designed it as a 215 ci, but as casting methods improved, cast iron engines came down in weight and there wasn't the market for the alloy. Along comes Rover needing a replacement for their cast iron six- rest is history........

Gathering info on various engines, even turboing the current race engine (stay under 2L) atm......

Cheers

Kevin

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Thats a bit harsh

Not much british about it. The Rover engine was designed in America by Buick as 3.5 liter engine. It was used in the 1961-1963 Buick Special (midsize car). Oldsmobile and Pontiac also had a version, Olds designed different cylinder heads.

GM sold it to Rover's parent company around '64. At the same time they sold the Buick V6 to Jeep. Later Jeep/AMC sold the V6 back to Buick...mighty odd story. Later Rover re-designed the V8, now heavier but stronger, and has punched it out to 4.0-4.5 liters.

Didn't Jack Brabham use this V8 engine for his winning race cars? Hence the aussie connection.

Ddgonzal is eight on the money. It's a classic Buick vertical valve engine & it was offered as an option in the 4 cylinder Pontiac Tempest [which was half a V8].

The Oldsmobile version was a more conventional wedge chamber design & used 4 extra head bolts per side.

The Brits took the Buick version & tried to improve it with Lucas electrics & a complex multiple SU carburetion. [oops]
You can't kill a bloody good design & the engine remained in production for decades, bet regardless of where it is made, it's an American engine all the way & all the internal parts are interchangeable between the two. [Buick/ Rover]

Skey
Sadly, British, European & Continental cars have not fared particularly well in Australia & do not have the same reputation that the bigger & sturdier American cars had. The Japanese came along & successfully filled the niche that British cars previously occupied.

Some of the Japanese initially utilised British designed engines back in the 60's, but improved them by making them reliable, overcoming all the oil leaks, & making them go well. In return, Australian buyers took Japanese cars to their heart & generally speaking, they have never let us down since.

Dat 383 , you must have started with an auto tunnel sedan to get your drive train in?How far forward from the fire wall are the back of theheads in your beastie? Even 5 toyota boxes are a squeeze into standard tunnels. Have you got any pics of the underside of the car? As for the Aussie connection with the Rover V8, Repco developed them into a screamer Formula 5000 engine and of course Leyland Australia developed the 4.4 litre P76 v8 from the Rover design as well.

Was only joking. I wouldnt buy a Brit car either. Working for Land Rover I get fed up of changing V8 head gaskets on an almost daily basis. Thats why both my cars are Jap. The Dat and a Hilux

the rover v8s have had a reputation in modified and kit car construction circles as being a great lightweight v8 for such a purpose, reliable when you take the lucas crap away and whack on a holley or similar.

The engine was great, the rest of the car and electrics were crap. even by 1960's production standards.

at least they are desigined by bmw at present for the current generation, but they are still crap

great motor in crap car, the problem wasn't with lucas it was with what lucas was using at the time, all the concentors where made from bakealight and as such were total crap

I've always been intrigued by the thought of the 215 ci buick V8 in a 1200. I was very impressed by a 510 that was setup that way. Had enough cam and carburation that the idle was up around 2000 and still not smooth. Man did that thing jump when he blipped the throttle!

Here is a link to Craigs list in Portland where there just happens to be a 510 with the V8 for sale. Not much time left on the add...
Clicky